The museum was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been open to the public since 1852.
Today, the Hermitage is a complex museum. Its main exhibition is located in five buildings situated in the center of St. Petersburg along the Neva river. The main building of the complex is the Winter Palace.
The building of the present (fifth) Winter Palace was built in 1754-1762 by the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The building is in the style of a magnificent Elizabethan Baroque with Rococo elements.
The first thing that catches one’s eye is the splendor and solemnity of the outer shape of the Winter Palace. Along the perimeter of the building above the cornice there are sculptures and vases, which give the building a gorgeous and elegant look.
The three-storey building of the Winter Palace has four wings and a courtyard.
The building’s facades face the Neva river, the Palace Square and the Admiralty. The main facade is cut with an arch of front drive.
Modern palace is made in emerald colours; columns, cornices and window frames are in white; and stucco molding and the rest decor is made in ocher.